Brazilian Butt Lifts, Butt Implants, & Butt Lifting, Oh My!

Parker Center for Plastic Surgery

iStock_000020407969LargeWhat is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the names Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez? If you think “nice butt,” then you are not alone. Thanks to celebrities like these women, backsides have taken a front row seat in recent years, helping define what it means to have an attractive, feminine physique. That’s right—butts are in!

It isn’t just Hollywood icons who are getting nicer buttocks. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of buttock augmentation procedures performed increased by 86% in 2014, making it the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in popularity by far.

There are several procedures that a plastic surgeon can perform to help improve your derriére. Unfortunately, it’s not always clear what the best option might be for your unique goals. Do you need a butt lift, a buttock augmentation, or butt implants?

If you feel confused by the variety of options out there, we’re here to help. We’ve outlined the four main procedures for buttock enhancement, so you can compare your options and continue your research with confidence, no ifs, ands, or butts.

Brazilian Butt Lift: A Win-Win Procedure for an Improved Lower Body

A two-step procedure, a Brazilian Butt Lift begins with liposuction to sculpt the areas that surround the buttocks—typically the hips, lower back, thighs, or abdomen. Next, a portion of the fat removed is injected into the buttocks in a very precise pattern to add lift and fullness for a rounder buttocks with that nice “bubble” shape. Since your own fat is used as a filler, the results look and feel natural and will last indefinitely, as long as you maintain your weight.

Brazilian butt lift surgery has quickly become the superstar of buttock augmentation because it not only helps achieve a nicer shape, it also gets rid of excess fat in troublesome areas.

Before & After Brazilian Butt Lift

New Jersey Fat Injection to Buttocks

    before                                                  after

Dr. Parker removed fat from abdomen, hip, and inner and outer thighs using Vaser ultrasonic liposuction and injected 300 cc of the purified fat into each buttock, augmenting the shape and contour of the buttock area.

Is a Brazilian Butt Lift a good option for you?

  • You are unhappy with your “flat” buttocks.
  • You desire a fuller, rounder buttocks.
  • Sagging skin is not a problem for you
  • You have sufficient body fat for the procedure to be performed successfully.

Outer Thigh & Buttock Lift: Smoother, Firmer, & Shapelier Buttocks After Weight Loss

Another way to improve the buttocks is through an outer thigh and buttock lift. This procedure involves removing excess, sagging skin from the buttocks and outer thighs to restore a smoother, firmer backside. Unlike a Brazilian butt lift, an outer thigh and buttock lift does not alter the size of the buttocks.

Outer Thigh & Buttock Lift Following Weight Loss

New Jersey Thigh Lift

    before                                                  after

Dr. Parker performed a lateral thigh and buttock lift to address sagging thigh and buttock skin after weight loss.

A buttock lift is a common choice for those who have experienced age-related sagging in the lower body. For patients who have lost significant weight, an outer thigh and buttock lift is frequently combined with a tummy tuck to improve the entire lower body. Likewise, patients who want to address sagging and enhance the size of their buttocks may consider fat injections in addition to a buttock lift.

Is a buttock or lower body lift a good option for you?

  • You want a smoother, shapelier butt, but not necessarily a larger one.
  • You are bothered by sagging, loose, or wrinkled skin on your buttocks.
  • You have maintained a stable weight for at least 6 months following pregnancy or weight loss.

You May Not Need a Butt Lift to Get a Better Backside

It may seem counterintuitive, but for many patients, the most effective way to create the look of fuller, shapelier buttocks is to take fat away. The idea is that by reducing the size of the surrounding areas with liposuction, the buttocks will look larger in comparison.

Before & After Hip Liposuction Only

New Jersey Fat Liposuction

    before                                                  after

This patient had 500 cc of fat removed from each hip through VASER liposuction, with no fat injections. Notice the improvement in the shape of the buttocks, even though nothing was done to the buttocks themselves.

This procedure requires a plastic surgeon who is highly skilled in body contouring. In advance of surgery, the surgeon must visualize how to sculpt the lower back, hips, and/or thighs to better highlight the buttocks. When well-executed, body contouring with liposuction can provide definition and roundness to the rear end without augmentation. Liposuction-only also has a shorter surgery and recovery, and thus can be a cost-effective way to get more attractive buttocks.

Is liposuction-only a good option for you?

  • You are fairly happy with the size of your buttocks, but lack definition.
  • You have good skin tone and tightness (i.e., sagging skin is not a problem for you)
  • You have excess fat that can be removed from the hips or thighs.
  • You are seeking enhancement, but not an increase in size.

Buttock Implants: Think Carefully Before Choosing This Option

For years, the most common surgery to enhance the buttocks involved inserting silicone implants beneath the gluteal muscle. However, this option has fallen out of favor with most plastic surgeons in the United States. Not only do buttock implants tend to feel firmer and less natural than a fat transfer, they also carry a greater risk of infection and other complications, including implant slippage and capsular contracture (hardening of scar tissue around the implant).

For patients who do not have enough body fat to achieve a successful fat transfer, implants may be the only option for a buttock augmentation. If you choose to pursue this option, be sure to carefully weigh the risks and benefits and, of course, choose a board certified plastic surgeon who is highly experienced in buttock implant surgery. However, given the choice of butt implants vs. Brazilian butt lift, most plastic surgeons would agree that the Brazilian butt lift is the safer procedure that produces the most satisfactory results.

Find Out More

If you are bothered by a flat or sagging butt, a buttock enhancement procedure can give you more balanced proportions, helping clothing look better without any extra effort. To learn more about your options, give us a call. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Parker has extensive experience with body contouring and will be happy to meet with you for a at our Paramus, New Jersey office.

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